William Cosyn

Biography

William Cosyn was born in London sometime between 1470 and 1475. His father, Robert Cosyn, was a man of some standing who secured the role of Controller of the Scrutiny of goods passing through the port of London from King Edward IV in 1461. By 1465, Robert had adopted the title of Esquire and also worked as clerk of the King’s Wardrobe. William’s mother, Elizabeth, was the sister of Oliver King, who served as Secretary to both Edward IV and Henry VII and later became Bishop of Exeter.

William had three siblings who survived to adulthood: Lewis, Robert, and Elizabeth. Lewis followed his father into royal service with some success, while Robert, born around 1474, became a landowner in Somerset. Elizabeth married Sir John Philpot in 1488, bringing a dowry of 400 marks and land in Middlesex provided by her uncle Oliver. After Philpot’s death in 1502, she managed several land holdings and had two sons, Piers and William.

William Cosyn began his career as a chorister in the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. He attended Eton College from 1483 to 1487, then moved on as an elected fellow at King’s College in 1487. He likely never completed a master’s degree, holding only the title of licentiate in civil law by 1498. His first church appointment came in 1488, when he received the Prebend of Bedford Minor in the Diocese of Lincoln, a position he retained until his death in 1525.

His career saw little progress until 1492, partly because he left Cambridge in 1490 to study civil or canon law on the continent.